10 Best Ways to Lose Weight for Life

Taking off pounds and keeping them off may require separate strategies.

By More.com Health Editors

Photograph: Konstantin Grebnev

To break the yo-yo dieting cycle, you may need to adapt your plan of attack, suggests a new study from Penn State University. When researchers surveyed 1,165 adults, they found that people who successfully lost 10 percent of their body weight in a year used distinctly different thought patterns and behaviors than those who had kept that 10 percent loss off for a year. Here’s how to follow their lead.

To Lose Weight
Participate in a diet program
Look for information about weight loss, nutrition or exercise
Limit sugar intake
Plan meals beforehand
Avoid skipping meals
Think about how much better you feel when you are thinner

To Keep it Off
Eat plenty of low-fat protein
Follow a consistent exercise routine
Reward yourself for sticking to your eating plan
Remind yourself why you need to control your weight

“When you're losing weight, it's kind of exciting. All of these neat changes are happening,” said Beth Kitchin, RD, assistant professor of nutrition sciences at University of Alabama at Birmingham. “When we get to where we want to maintain, the mindset changes. Some struggle with adding more calories back in, and learning how to eat foods that may not have been on their diet plan.”